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Speciale first impressions

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by aboodchy, Jul 3, 2015.

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  1. aboodchy

    aboodchy Rookie

    May 7, 2007
    29
    #1 aboodchy, Jul 3, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Well, it's been four days since I've had the pleasure of owning a Speciale and I have a lot of impressions. First of all, I bought the car with 4500km on it so no need to run it in :)

    Ground clearance: the car has the lifting system which is a blessing since my Turbo S with Techart lip spoiler and lowing springs used to scratch on my drive every freaking time; plus I find I rarely have to use it as the Speciale is not a very low car and has decent ground clearance.

    Blind spots / visibility : well, this is where the Speciale really irks the heck out of me. The harnesses hold on to you so tightly that you can't actually tilt your head to look at oncoming cars. And if you eventually do, you can never really tell if there is a car directly beside you; so far I had two close encounters :/ The rear camera really helps when parking though. Also the driver seating position is way too low and it's a scary one knowing you're not quite sure where you're pointing that nose. I was told the seat can actually be raised a bit but it has to be done manual at the workshop.

    Sound system: does the job but nothing even remotely close to the orchestral Burmester I had on my Turbo S. Also, it kinda sucks not having a subwoofer for a bit of base.

    Exhaust / sound deadening: it is loud, very, very loud and in a somewhat annoying way. Anything below 4K, you are accompanied with a loud BURP which gets a bit old after a long journey. Also, initial startup sound is not as loud as I thought it would be, which is good for my neighbors lol. You hear all sorts of bangs and blips coming from everywhere which adds to whole 'racing' feel which I love. The blips are insane and when pushed to the redline, it is accompanied by a loud mechanical 'hiss' which sort of reminds me turbo gaskets if that sorts of makes sense. 9K rpm on a Speciale literally blows me away. I wouldn't want to change the exhaust because it would only add to the annoying drone already present in the stock system.

    Transmission: I've never experience a faster gear shift, ever. My only complaint would be it's far too jerky in automatic and the revs stay a little too long for the change; it's perfect when you're pushing it though. Also, the shifts are brutal and cause serious whiplash but I'm sure they're not as brutal as the previous single clutch systems.

    I'm still having trouble with gearbox display not showing at all; on some trips it's on, on others it's a black screen. Also, I got a Manettino failure twice; the car would start up in "WET" mode even though it would be on sport or race. It disappeared when turning the car off and on. I'm sure this has to be with the battery because it was parked in the showroom for a good couple of months before being sold to me. I'm taking it tomorrow to have it checked out.

    Oh and I just drove my friend's F12 and it is a massively different car. As bare and loud and crude as the Speciale is, the F12 is just too scary; it is VERY tail happy and not very confidence inspiring. It feels a bit faster than my previous Turbo S but has no low end torque at all. As fast as the F12 is, oddly the Speciale feels faster because of all the noises and quickness of shifts. The shifts are slower and the brakes not as abrupt; good though. Also, it's much, much comfortable than the Speciale but not as quite as the Turbo S. The steering is way too light but the suspension I found to be ideal in the case that it's more of a GT missile than a 'race car for the street' car. The new F12 GTO is going to be nuts.

    But all in all, it has exceeded my expectations, both in driver involvement and pure sheer fun. I have a GT3 RS on order as well so we'll see how that compares to this beast :)
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  2. dustman

    dustman F1 World Champ
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    Jun 12, 2007
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    #2 dustman, Jul 3, 2015
    its a good life, isnt it.
     
  3. F2003-GA

    F2003-GA F1 World Champ
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    #3 F2003-GA, Jul 3, 2015
    Congrats - Enjoy in good health :)
     
  4. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

    Apr 10, 2009
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    #4 Traveller, Jul 3, 2015
    Belts are a real pain unless you track the car a lot.
     
  5. 2Veloce

    2Veloce Formula Junior

    Aug 8, 2014
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    annapolis, maryland
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    #5 2Veloce, Jul 3, 2015
    nice, nice and nice!
     
  6. SoCal to az

    SoCal to az F1 World Champ
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    Nov 25, 2012
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    #6 SoCal to az, Jul 3, 2015
    I'm Sensing a lot of problems in your post. Deep down you don't seem to like the car at all. Tell you what- I'll happily take it off your hands and buy it from you. ������. :)
     
  7. tomc

    tomc Two Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 13, 2014
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    #7 tomc, Jul 3, 2015
    Nice Speciale! The yellow, inside and out, are a great accent to the black color. Wishing you many happy miles...T
     
  8. 720

    720 F1 Rookie

    Jul 14, 2003
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    #8 720, Jul 3, 2015
    I love every single thing about the Speciale...except the 100 percent completely worthless built-in storage areas in each door. They should tar and feather the guy that came up with that idea! LOL
     
  9. aboodchy

    aboodchy Rookie

    May 7, 2007
    29
    #9 aboodchy, Jul 3, 2015
    one would say :)

    thank you!

    hopefully tracking it very soon :)

    grazie!

    let me sleep on it ;)

    thank you bro!

    Ugh, tell me about it! It IS holding my car registration card very nicely though LOL!
     
  10. 720

    720 F1 Rookie

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    #10 720, Jul 3, 2015
    mine wouldn't fit. i had to put it in the netting/pocket behind the driver's seat :)

     
  11. Dohangs

    Dohangs F1 Rookie
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    #11 Dohangs, Jul 3, 2015
    Congrats! Nice write up.
     
  12. PhilNotHill

    PhilNotHill Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 3, 2006
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    #12 PhilNotHill, Jul 3, 2015
    Thanks for the write-up.

    You failed to mention the gorgeous 458S engine. Doubt if they will ever put a window over any 911 engine! Lol
     
  13. TheMayor

    TheMayor Ten Time F1 World Champ
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    #13 TheMayor, Jul 3, 2015
    One thing I do not understand about the gearbox.

    So, all the "jerky-ness" is computer controlled. It has nothing to to with the mechanicals. Some software controls all of this..

    They put in the jerky-ness intentionally to give it a sporty feel. Why don't they just let people choose the setting they want and be done with this issue?

    The Speciale is an amazing car. I'm sure you'll love it!
     
  14. johnwi

    johnwi Karting

    Nov 30, 2014
    91
    santa monica, CA
    #14 johnwi, Jul 3, 2015
    OP, I think you are going to really like the GT3 RS. If for some reason you can't get an RS then pick up a 2015 991 GT3. Based on what you are saying i think you will prefer this to your speciale. The GT3 is more civilized in every respect and still is an amazing race car. That said it does not have the visceral thrill factor that the Speciale has which is all about hard gear shifting, Loud engine, bad radio and a rougher ride. In the end, the Speciale may not be for you!
     
  15. Gene-O

    Gene-O Formula Junior

    Mar 10, 2015
    271
    #15 Gene-O, Jul 4, 2015
    If this is your first paddle car after using a clutch/shifter manual, you may be involuntarily lifting very slightly on the accelerator foot as you shift, which will make it jerky. I know I had to get used to just planting my foot and keep it still until after upshifts... any letting up at the shift point will roughen it up. I find it actually quite perfect in either direction, once you get used to not having to use an additional hand and foot :)

    Cheers and enjoy !!
     
  16. Eilig

    Eilig F1 Rookie
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    #16 Eilig, Jul 4, 2015
    I concur completely. There are some times when I wish I could dial it in to shift smoother. The "drama" associated with it always banging into gear can sometimes wear thin. When I keep my foot planted and shift at high RPM, it hits very hard. The Italia does not do this. One of the few criticisms I have about the car actually...
     
  17. 911C4S

    911C4S Formula Junior

    Sep 21, 2011
    385
    #17 911C4S, Jul 4, 2015
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2015
    put the manettino into SPORT instead of RACE, then the shifts are very smooth.
    peter
     
  18. Eilig

    Eilig F1 Rookie
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    #18 Eilig, Jul 4, 2015
    Tried that, it didn't work... Only thing I haven't tried is the RAIN setting...
     
  19. 911C4S

    911C4S Formula Junior

    Sep 21, 2011
    385
    #19 911C4S, Jul 4, 2015
    interesting. when i drove the speciale the gear shifts were about as smooth as in my italia, except in RACE mode. they may be a bit jerky from standstill when the car is cold but still better than on my previous M5 F10.
    peter
     
  20. bobbyd

    bobbyd Formula Junior

    Nov 17, 2003
    722
    #20 bobbyd, Jul 4, 2015
    Funny my Speciale actually shifts smoother in race than sport - go figure....

    Standard 458 has smoother shifts. IMO Ferrari tried too hard to make the Speciale feel "sporty" in this respect. In all other aspects the calibrations are spot on...
     
  21. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    #21 jm2, Jul 4, 2015
    yellow seat inserts......nice!
     
  22. 720

    720 F1 Rookie

    Jul 14, 2003
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    #22 720, Jul 4, 2015
    My Speciale shifts in race (I've never tried sport) are near instant and smooth...almost too smooth. I wouldn't mind a bit more of a jolt.
     
  23. DK308

    DK308 F1 Rookie

    Aug 13, 2013
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    #23 DK308, Jul 4, 2015
    Makes sense. What you want to be fast, is a smooth and fast shift that does not upset the car in any way. I believe Chris Harris mentioned something similar in his GT3 RS review, along the lines of, jerky shift's seems like the manufacture made the car act as if it didn't know how to shift - keep it out of Sport. I do believe that the jerkiness is not a good thing in terms of performance, and it is just there to give a "sporty feel". I'd prefer a super fast seamless shift any day over an artificially jerky one. While not a Speciale owner, I've driven it a few times, and another thing I've noticed is that the throttle sensitivity seems less aggressive in the Speciale, i.e, the power seems easier to modulate and more precise. I sometimes find the Spider throttle response a wee bit too sensitive, or is it just me being a poor driver?
     
  24. Caeruleus11

    Caeruleus11 F1 World Champ
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    #24 Caeruleus11, Jul 4, 2015
    Beautiful car- congratulations!

    Re the harness. Maybe you can find out if you can have the standard 3 point seat belts installed into the vehicle? I think they are safer for driving a car without a roll bar and they would allow you easier movement to see other cars etc.
     
  25. PAP 348

    PAP 348 Ten Time F1 World Champ
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    Dec 10, 2005
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    #25 PAP 348, Jul 4, 2015
    Car looks awesome in black, congrats and enjoy. :)
     
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